Advent 3

Advent 3 “Make straight the way of the Lord.” (John 1:6-8, 19-28)

The straight way is the way to the Real Presence of the living God. It is not a religion it is a relationship. The relationship is with Jesus Christ. The relationship is characterized by love and compassion. And, it is a relationship initiated by the Holy Spirit in the call to worship.

There are many detours along the way. There are no short cuts. Short cuts make long delays, as JJR Tolkien once wrote.

When John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, preached to the people of Judea and Galilee there were three main detours off the straight way of salvation.

For the Romans, power was the detour and war was the short cut.
For the Greeks, knowledge was the detour and cynicism was the short cut.
For the Jews, religion was the detour and legalism was the short cut.
At the risk of offending any one, I suspect that for contemporary Western Civilization the love of money is the detour and self indulgent pleasure is one of many short cuts.

The true prophet of God has the clear sight to discern these detours and short cuts. The Holy Spirit provides the clarity. And, the Holy Spirit directs the prophetic message with two words: repent and prepare.

John the Baptist had the unenviable task of announcing to a very religious culture that they had missed the mark. They maintained the outward and visible signs of religion whist rejecting the inward and spiritual grace.

John’s call to repentance attracted huge crowds. His message stirred the emotions of thousands of people. What John could not do was to change the hearts of those multitudes. He understood the dynamic of the crowds. People might enter into the waters of repentance today and the quickly forget their promise to God by evening. The religious leaders might listen to the message in silence even as they considered how to use John to maintain their position and extend their influence.

John knew his time was short. The true prophet usually does not live long. The true prophet tells people we are lost and in a state of rebellion against the Divine Plan, pattern and purpose of Creation. People in general and people with religious and political power don’ t like that message.

The lost do not want to be found. The rebellious strike back and strike back hard when a true prophet speaks the true word of God.

John’s purpose as the last of the prophets is to prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. John calls people to recognize their sin, to repent of their sin, and to understand that the problem of sin runs far deeper than any prophet or religion can reach.

The problem confronting humanity is our choice to separate from God. The solution is to prepare for the One whom God sends into the world to save us from sin. That salvation comes as a gift. It is the gift of reunification with God the Father and transformation in God the Holy Spirit through a personal relationship with God the son.

The straight way to salvation is modeled for us in holy mother Mary’s response to the message of the archangel Gabriel. It is a response to grace by faith summarized in one word: yes.

The call of the true prophet begins with the urgent invitation to consider where we say no to God and how we say no to God. Where are we moving into a detour off the straight and narrow road of salvation? How do we seek the short cuts of self will to tell God what we demand of him?

Jesus is the unity of divinity and humanity. He the second Adam- the pattern of a new life and the purpose for a new way of living.

During Advent we have the opportunity to consider the prophetic call to make our path to God straight- unencumbered by sin.

The straight way is the way of Holy Mother Mary who said: Behold, I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be unto me according to God’s word.
The straight way is the way of the apostle Paul who declared: for me to live is Jesus Christ.

The straight way is the way of the apostle John to whom God the Holy Spirit gave the name: beloved of the co-eternal Beloved.

The straight way is the way of unconditional love.

The last of the true prophets calls us to consider where have chosen detours and short cuts. His call is to return to the royal road of Divine Love and compassion. His call is to walk the pathways of this life with Jesus Christ.
His call is: “Make straight the way of the Lord.”